It is often desirable to secure a snow guard to a roof to prevent the snow and ice that accumulates on the roof from falling off.
Roofs are well known in the art and include, for example, metal roofs, shingle roofs, and membrane roofs. Roofs typically contain an outer layer, such as metal panels, shingles, or a rubber membrane, attached to a substrate layer, such as plywood, oriented strand board, or particle board. The substrate layer may be supported by wooden rafters or steel decking.
In a metal roof, the outer layer typically comprises a plurality of abutting metal panels, each running the length of the roof. The panels are laid side by side to cover the width of the roof, and the abutting panels are typically crimped together to form a water-resistant joint. Snow guards are typically attached to a metal roof by placing the snow guard over a portion of the water-resistant joint and securing the snow guard to the joint via set screws or other fastening means.
In a shingle roof, the outer layer typically comprises multiple rows of shingles placed in ascending fashion on the substrate layer, optionally with tar paper therebetween. Snow guards are typically attached to a shingle roof by placing the snow guards onto the outer layer of the shingles and driving screws through the snow guard into the substrate layer of the roof.
In a membrane roof, the outer layer typically comprises a rubber membrane that covers the substrate layer of the roof. Snow guards are typically attached to a membrane roof by securing a base of the snow guard to the substrate layer via screws, placing the membrane over the substrate layer and base of the snow guard, removing a portion of the membrane so that a portion of the base is exposed therethrough, and then securing an upper portion of the snow guard to the exposed portion of the base.
In areas that experience very heavy snow fall and/or ice buildup, an extreme load is often placed on the snow guard from the snow and ice which has accumulated on the roof. The load pressing against the snow guard creates a torque thereon, potentially causing the trailing edge of the snow guard to lift from the roof. When this occurs, the leading edge of the snow guard could cut into the outer layer of the roof, causing the roof to leak. Where the load on the snow guard is excessive, the snow guard could be torn from the roof.
An example of the above-mentioned is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,608, filed Feb. 1, 1999, to William F. Alley, in which there is described a snow guard assembly that contains a block having a base and a top, a snow guard attached to the block, and two rods, whereas each rod has a first and a second terminal end and a predetermined length therebetween. The first terminal end of each rod is attached to the base of the block. To secure the block to the roof, two holes are placed through the outer and substrate layers of the roof. The base of the block is placed in juxtaposition with the outer layer of the roof, with the second terminal ends of the two rods located through the holes in the roof. The length of the two rods is sufficient to allow the second terminal ends thereof to extend below the substrate layer of the roof. A first and second securement device is located on the portion of the first and second rods, respectively, protruding from the substrate layer of the roof to secure the second terminal ends of the two rods below the substrate layer of the roof, thereby securing the block to the roof. A mounting bracket is optionally located between the base of the block and the outer layer of the roof, and a lock plate is optionally located between the substrate layer of the roof and the first and second securement devices. The snow guard assembly of U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,608 is relatively expensive to manufacture, and is time consuming to install.
In addition, tall structures, such as buildings, are often protected from lightning by lightning rods mounted to, and spaced along the roofline. The lightning rods are typically coupled together by a braided cable with one end of the cable being coupled to a copper rod buried in the ground. There is a need for an apparatus and method of coupling the braided cable to a membrane roof that spaces the cable from the roof in order to reduce abrasions that adversely affect the useful life of the roof.